Cutty Sark Soundscape
Masts flickering in the wind. Bustling conversation between sailors. The ebb and flow of the waves.
These were the sounds animating the Cutty Sark when she was launched on 22 November 1869. Named by the wife of George Moodie – the ship’s first master who had also supervised her construction – the Cutty Sark left the Clyde in 1870. A month and two days later, she set sail from London for China.
Cutty Sark Soundscape is a new digital experience that transports you back to that moment in time 150 years ago. You’ll hear the wind, waves, rigging and creaking wood of the ship alongside specially commissioned music composed by Sonic Collaborations. The sounds have been made to be as accurate and realistic as possible, ranging from being outside on the Main Deck in near-gale conditions to tea chests being loaded in Lower Hold. The experience is peppered with localised sound effects, ranging from various animal noises to the ringing of a ship’s bell. When exploring the museum ship, you’ll learn about the ship’s structure, the lives of its crew, and its iconic voyages all while taking in the ambient sounds that characterised its former reality.
“The soundscape is a set of mood pieces which reflect the feeling on each deck, as well as how this can change in different weather conditions,” Colin and Nic of Sonic Collaborations explain. “Each visitor’s version of the soundscape will be unique depending on their journey through the ship, the time taken to linger (or not) in each space, and personal curiosity to experiment with different weather conditions.”
“The soundscape has an ambient quality, aiming to blend music with sound effects, and so provide a dramatic and seamless listening experience,” they add. “The music was created blending a ‘string orchestra’ of electric violas, a treated piano (with its sound altered), as well as various maritime sound effects, voices and samples.”
The launch of this soundscape was accompanied by a concert featuring music by Sonic Collaborations and the exclusive song Ebb and Flow with the vocals of Lottie P (Goat Girl).
Meet the artists
Colin Riley is a composer, curator and educator. He studied at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, the University of York and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and is now a senior lecturer at Brunel University in London. His work crosses genres, incorporating technology, improvisation, songwriting and large-scale classical pieces.
Nic Pendlebury is our Head of Strings at Trinity Laban. He has been at the forefront of the contemporary music scene for over 30 years and was the founder and violist of the internationally acclaimed Smith Quartet. In more recent years Nic’s pioneering and creative spirit has seen him create a new repertoire for the electric viola, an instrument he believes has an exciting future in the ever-developing world of classical music.
London-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Lottie Pendlebury (Lottie P) is a multi-faceted and prolific musician who splits her time between her Rough Trade-signed band Goat Girl and other solo and collaborative endeavours. Having released three highly praised albums since their signing, Goat Girl (while predominantly an alternative rock trio) have been known to journey through many different sounds on their records, from art pop inspired vocals to the experimental guitar and bass sounds, their artistic exploration is always what remains at the forefront of each record.
An exclusive song, Ebb and Flow, has been created by Sonic Collaborations in conjunction with this experience. It features the vocals of Lottie P (Goat Girl).
The track can be accessed via Bandcamp. Music from the experience is available as an EP through Bandcamp.
Image credit: Royal Museums Greenwich